Rockets split Double-header

The University of Toledo’s softball team split its double-header at Morehead State on March 16, winning the first game 3-2 in extra innings before getting held to just three hits in game two, 2-0 defeat.

The Rockets (5-20) were led by juniors DH Ashley Maynard and 2B Chandler Rice who combined for five of UT’s six hits.

Senior Marla Gooding picked up her fifth win of the season throwing all eight innings. She allowed just two runs on eight hits and recorded three strikeouts.

Toledo struck first with an RBI single to left field by senior outfielder Jessica Lemieux in the top of second to take a 1-0 lead.

The Rockets added one more in the top of the fourth thanks to an Eagles fielding error with two outs.

Morehead State tied things up in the bottom of the sixth with a bases-clearing single with two runners on by Karly Thompson to the right-center gap.

With both teams tied at 2-2 at the end of the seventh, the game went into the eighth inning in accordance with the international tiebreaker rule where a runner starts the inning on second base.

After junior Celeste Fidge advanced to third on a ground out to first, Maynard drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI double down the left-field line.

The Eagles went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the eighth to close out the game.

In the afternoon game both teams found themselves in a pitchers’ duel combining for only seven hits.

Freshman Heather Webb recorded her fifth loss of the season after four and a third innings pitched. She allowed the only two runs of the game in the bottom of the fifth.

Karly Thompson led off the sixth inning for the Eagles with a solo shot for her fifth home run of the season.

MSU tacked on one more with a bases-loaded RBI single to center field.

Gooding came on in relief for UT giving up just one hit in one and two-thirds innings of work.

Toledo is off until next weekend when it opens conference play on March 25-26 in Buffalo, New York. Toledo will play a single game against the Bulls on Friday at 3 p.m. before returning on Saturday for a doubleheader.